About 15 years ago I suddenly came into a few hundred bucks I was not expecting. I got a check in the mail for a freelance writing job I had done years before, for which I had been stiffed, and which I had given up on.
So I took my unplanned windfall and bought some toys.
First I got a Spyderco Delica. I had never owned a Spyderco before but was fascinated by the big hole in the blade -- what a brilliant idea! And they seemed to have a good reputation for durability.
Then I bought an Emerson Benchmade CQC7. I read a really nice review in one of the knife mags in which the seasoned reviewer called it the strongest folder he had ever used. Indeed, that chisel-ground ATS-34 blade had a tanto point that never let me down. One time I used it to open the hood of a junked Honda, just like a can opener, to get at the engine parts I wanted. And the action was so silky smooth, opening it felt like I was cheating somehow.
Then came a pure plaything: An Applegate Fairbairn combat folder. I will confess that in all the years I owned it, it never left the house. I loved flicking it open, hearing and feeling the big heavy blade click into place with such authority. As I wasn't on active duty somewhere or engaged in any significant street warfare, it really wasn't a very useful knife for me. But oh, the divine balance of it, and how it gleamed....
Well, today the economy sucks and times are tough and money is a lot tighter. I have more things to pay for, like the feeding of my children, who simply refuse to skip a day. And I am planning a big party in a couple of weeks, for which I needed some cash.
In the last two weeks I sold the CQC7 and the Applegate. I got good prices for both and their new owners were delighted with them. I wish them years of faithful service from these noble tools.
But man, did I hate to see them go. Packing each one up for shipping, I flicked it open one last time, ran by fingers ever so carefully over every groove and edge. After 15 years of having such fine examples of the knife maker's art within reach, I had gotten very attached to them. I am sure more than a few of you understand. It wasn't like selling a floor jack or a nail gun. It was like selling off promises of legend.
The Spyderco? Forget it, that one isn't going anywhere. It's clipped to my pocket as I write this. It's my daily carry favorite, as legal in my place of residence as a Swiss Army Knife, and so very much meaner. I've seen guys saw and saw on a dangling rope with an SAK, some actually using the saw blade, which my Delica would then pass through in a single swipe. Many of my work colleagues have switched to Spydercos after seeing how handy and resilient the little buggers are. The combo edge AT8-55 blade is certainly no match for the ATS-34 of my two recently departed friends, but on the job and as a last-resort knife for personal safety, it does by me just fine.
Besides, After 15 years of serious use, it wouldn't fetch enough to make a sale worthwhile. There's a Chaung Tzu quote to be referenced in there somewhere, I think, about how the most useful things are the ones that are worth less.
Goodbye, sweet fantasy folders. Serve your new owners well. You'll be in my dreams.
So I took my unplanned windfall and bought some toys.
First I got a Spyderco Delica. I had never owned a Spyderco before but was fascinated by the big hole in the blade -- what a brilliant idea! And they seemed to have a good reputation for durability.
Then I bought an Emerson Benchmade CQC7. I read a really nice review in one of the knife mags in which the seasoned reviewer called it the strongest folder he had ever used. Indeed, that chisel-ground ATS-34 blade had a tanto point that never let me down. One time I used it to open the hood of a junked Honda, just like a can opener, to get at the engine parts I wanted. And the action was so silky smooth, opening it felt like I was cheating somehow.
Then came a pure plaything: An Applegate Fairbairn combat folder. I will confess that in all the years I owned it, it never left the house. I loved flicking it open, hearing and feeling the big heavy blade click into place with such authority. As I wasn't on active duty somewhere or engaged in any significant street warfare, it really wasn't a very useful knife for me. But oh, the divine balance of it, and how it gleamed....
Well, today the economy sucks and times are tough and money is a lot tighter. I have more things to pay for, like the feeding of my children, who simply refuse to skip a day. And I am planning a big party in a couple of weeks, for which I needed some cash.
In the last two weeks I sold the CQC7 and the Applegate. I got good prices for both and their new owners were delighted with them. I wish them years of faithful service from these noble tools.
But man, did I hate to see them go. Packing each one up for shipping, I flicked it open one last time, ran by fingers ever so carefully over every groove and edge. After 15 years of having such fine examples of the knife maker's art within reach, I had gotten very attached to them. I am sure more than a few of you understand. It wasn't like selling a floor jack or a nail gun. It was like selling off promises of legend.
The Spyderco? Forget it, that one isn't going anywhere. It's clipped to my pocket as I write this. It's my daily carry favorite, as legal in my place of residence as a Swiss Army Knife, and so very much meaner. I've seen guys saw and saw on a dangling rope with an SAK, some actually using the saw blade, which my Delica would then pass through in a single swipe. Many of my work colleagues have switched to Spydercos after seeing how handy and resilient the little buggers are. The combo edge AT8-55 blade is certainly no match for the ATS-34 of my two recently departed friends, but on the job and as a last-resort knife for personal safety, it does by me just fine.
Besides, After 15 years of serious use, it wouldn't fetch enough to make a sale worthwhile. There's a Chaung Tzu quote to be referenced in there somewhere, I think, about how the most useful things are the ones that are worth less.
Goodbye, sweet fantasy folders. Serve your new owners well. You'll be in my dreams.
. Hang in there, sir!!